Do Catholics believe Mary was made holy by God himself?

Question

Think about it. In order for the son of God to be born, he would have to find an ideal candidate to bear his child. When God found Mary, he realized that even though she was good, she was still of sin like all humanity. Since God didn't want his child to be born from a stained woman, he purified her the moment that Jesus entered her womb. Is that why Catholics believe Mary is holy?

Answer 1

Yes I do believe that, Mary was sinless and God favored her above other women because she loved Him and obeyed Him

Answer 2

Yes. Only God can make someone holy.

When the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God, called Mary, "Full of grace," Mary was already full of grace.

When the angel Gabriel said, "The Lord is with you," the Lord was already with her.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was in a state of grace before she says "yes" to the angel's question and before the Holy Spirit came upon her for a different purpose.

When did Mary's state of grace begin?

Catholics believe this state of grace was with Mary since her Immaculate Conception. This means that Mary was conceived in the normal way (not like Jesus) but that she did not inherit original sin.

With the grace of God and without the effects of original Sin, we believe that Mary did not commit personal sin at any time during her life.

God prepared her for her later role as the mother of Jesus.

Catholics celebrate this miracle on December 8 as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 490 and following: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt2art3p2.htm#490

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

An error in your comment, the immaculate conception is that Mary was preserved from original sin, for example a woman falls into a deep hole and God reaches in a pulls her out, God prevented the woman,(Mary) from falling into the hole by saving her.
Although human she was preserved as the vessel of God, pure from the stain of original sin, Isaiah and Psalms. This is providence at work.
Hail(rejoice) full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Answer 4

Many mainstream Christian denominations including the Orthodox, Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches all venerate and honour Mary as the Mother of God. Muslims also have a high regard for Mary as the Mother of Jesus.

Answer 5

Catholics have faith that Mary could be commemorated not worshiped. Any Catholic worshiping Mary would not understand Catholicism! The Hail Mary is a prayer that in basic terms describes how the Lord chosen her to mom the Son. The latter area inquiring for her to 'pray for our sins' is using the fact she replaced into assumed into heaven (as in, did not die) so she could be close with God. in actuality, Catholics pray in the process the lifeless, to not the lifeless. all people who certainly worships Mary isn't Catholic... playstation Catholics additionally call the Church 'mom' or the 'bride of Christ'.

Answer 6

Mary - the Immaculate Ark of the New Covenant
Exodus 25:11-21 - the ark of the Old Covenant was made of the purest gold for God's Word. Mary is the ark of the New Covenant and is the purest vessel for the Word of God made flesh.

2 Sam. 6:7 - the Ark is so holy and pure that when Uzzah touched it, the Lord slew him. This shows us that the Ark is undefiled. Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is even more immaculate and undefiled, spared by God from original sin so that she could bear His eternal Word in her womb.

1 Chron. 13:9-10 - this is another account of Uzzah and the Ark. For God to dwell within Mary the Ark, Mary had to be conceived without sin. For Protestants to argue otherwise would be to say that God would let the finger of Satan touch His Son made flesh. This is incomprehensible.

1 Chron. 15 and 16 - these verses show the awesome reverence the Jews had for the Ark - veneration, vestments, songs, harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets.

Luke 1:39 / 2 Sam. 6:2 - Luke's conspicuous comparison's between Mary and the Ark described by Samuel underscores the reality of Mary as the undefiled and immaculate Ark of the New Covenant. In these verses, Mary (the Ark) arose and went / David arose and went to the Ark. There is a clear parallel between the Ark of the Old and the Ark of the New Covenant.

Luke 1:41 / 2 Sam. 6:16 - John the Baptist / King David leap for joy before Mary / Ark. So should we leap for joy before Mary the immaculate Ark of the Word made flesh.

Luke 1:43 / 2 Sam. 6:9 - How can the Mother / Ark of the Lord come to me? It is a holy privilege. Our Mother wants to come to us and lead us to Jesus.

Luke 1:56 / 2 Sam. 6:11 and 1 Chron. 13:14 - Mary / the Ark remained in the house for about three months.

Rev 11:19 - at this point in history, the Ark of the Old Covenant was not seen for six centuries (see 2 Macc. 2:7), and now it is finally seen in heaven. The Jewish people would have been absolutely amazed at this. However, John immediately passes over this fact and describes the "woman" clothed with the sun in Rev. 12:1. John is emphasizing that Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant and who, like the Old ark, is now worthy of veneration and praise. Also remember that Rev. 11:19 and Rev. 12:1 are tied together because there was no chapter and verse at the time these texts were written.

Rev 12:1 - the "woman" that John is describing is Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so Mary, with the moon under her feet, reflects the glory of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ.

Rev. 12:17 - this verse tells us that Mary's offspring are those who keep God's commandments and bear testimony to Jesus. This demonstrates, as Catholics have always believed, that Mary is the Mother of all Christians.

Rev. 12:2 - Some Protestants argue that, because the woman had birth pangs, she was a woman with sin. However, Revelation is apocalyptic literature unique to the 1st century. It contains varied symbolism and multiple meanings of the woman (Mary, the Church and Israel). The birth pangs describe both the birth of the Church and Mary's offspring being formed in Christ. Mary had no birth pangs in delivering her only Son Jesus.

Isaiah 66:7 - for example, we see Isaiah prophesying that before she (Mary) was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son (Jesus). This is a Marian prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

Gal 4:19 - Paul also describes his pain as birth pangs in forming the disciples in Christ. Birth pangs describe formation in Christ.

Rom. 8:22 - also, Paul says the whole creation has been groaning in travail before the coming of Christ. We are all undergoing birth pangs because we are being reborn into Jesus Christ.

Jer. 13:21 - Jeremiah describes the birth pangs of Israel, like a woman in travail. Birth pangs are usually used metaphorically in the Scriptures.

Hos. 13:12-13 - Ephraim is also described as travailing in childbirth for his sins. Again, birth pangs are used metaphorically.

Micah 4:9-10 - Micah also describes Jerusalem as being seized by birth pangs like a woman in travail.

Rev. 12:13-16 - in these verses, we see that the devil still seeks to destroy the woman even after the Savior is born. This proves Mary is a danger to satan, even after the birth of Christ. This is because God has given her the power to intercede for us, and we should invoke her assistance in our spiritual lives.

Answer 7

When you hear the term Immaculate Conception, it refers to the conception of Mary, not Jesus. Unlike the rest of us, Mary was not born with Original Sin, and therefore was the perfect vessel for Jesus.

Answer 8

Holy does not mean free from all sin. Holy means set apart. Mary lived her life set apart for God. That is why God could use her, because she was about doing His will. He prepared her for this all of her life, softening her heart to be aligned with God's will whenever He called.

The assumption that Mary was perfect is just an assumption based on fantasy. Jesus is the only One Who knew no sin. Mary was a woman just as any other. She had flaws just as any other. But, her heart was to do God's will - no matter what the Lord would ask of her.

I think she proved that.

Answer 9

The bottom line is Mary was just a regular, but willing and obedient woman, that God chose to use in a specific way. No different from the way God used/uses anyone else. Making idols out of ANYONE other than God is in violation of the first commandment!!! That goes for Mary, "saints," pope, nuns, priests etc.

Answer 10

Remember GOD choose Mary not the other way around.
Even though Mary was a sinner, Jesus is Holy because HE is GOD and fertilized the egg through the Holy Spirit. Mary said herself she was the servant.